Leucothoe plant named ‘Opstal 50’

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of  Leucothoe , ‘Opstal 50’, that is characterized by its compact, upright, shrubby plant habit with short internodes, its fine, narrow leaves, and its immature shoots (stems, leaves, and petioles) that are red in color that mature to a green color in summer and turn purple in fall through winter.

Botanical classification: Leucothoe keiskei.

Variety denomination: ‘Opstal 50’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofLeucothoe keiskei. The new Leucothoe will hereafter by its cultivarname, ‘Opstal 50’. ‘Opstal 50’ is a new cultivar of evergreen shrubgrown for use as an ornamental landscape plant.

The new cultivar was discovered by the Inventor in May of 2008 as anaturally occurring branch mutation of Leucothoe keiskei ‘Royal Ruby’(Not Patented) that was growing in a container in Zundert, TheNetherlands.

Asexual propagation of the new cultivar was first accomplished by theInventor using stem cuttings in January of 2009 in Zundert, TheNetherlands. Asexual propagation by stem cuttings has determined thatthe characteristics of the new cultivar are stable and are reproducedtrue to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and represent thecharacteristics of the new cultivar. These attributes in combinationdistinguish ‘Opstal 50’ as a unique cultivar of Leucothoe.

-   -   1. ‘Opstal 50’ exhibits a broad spreading, upright, shrubby        plant habit with short internodes.    -   2. ‘Opstal 50’ exhibits fine, narrow leaves.    -   3. ‘Opstal 50’ exhibits immature shoots (stems, leaves, and        petioles) that are red in color that mature to a green color in        summer and turn purple in fall through winter.

‘Royal Ruby’, the parent of ‘Opstal 50’, is similar to ‘Opstal 50’ inplant habit and in having red colored new growth. ‘Royal Ruby’ differsfrom ‘Opstal 50’ in being taller in height and in having leaves that arelonger in length and broader in width. ‘Opstal 50’ can be compared tothe Leucothoe cultivar ‘Curly Red’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 17,666). ‘CurlyRed’ is similar to ‘Opstal 50’ in having new growth that is red in colorand in having mature growth that is green in color. ‘Curly Red’ differsfrom ‘Opstal 50’ in having curled foliage and in having leaves that arepurple in color during the summer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceand distinct characteristics of three year-old plants of the newLeucothoe as grown outdoors in 23-cm containers in Zundert, TheNetherlands.

The photograph in FIG. 1 provides a side view of the overall plant habitof ‘Opstal 50’.

The photograph in FIG. 2 provides a close-up view of a mature leaf of‘Opstal 50’.

The photograph in FIG. 3 provides a close-up view of the immaturefoliage of ‘Opstal 50’.

The colors in the photograph are as close as possible with the digitalphotography techniques available and the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description most accurately describe the colors ofthe new Leucothoe.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of three year-old plants of thenew cultivar as grown outdoors in 23-cm containers in Zundert, TheNetherlands. The phenotype of the new cultivar may vary with variationsin environmental, climatic, and cultural conditions, as it has not beentested under all possible environmental conditions. The colordetermination is in accordance with The 2007 R.H.S. Colour Chart of theRoyal Horticultural Society, London, England, except where general colorterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   General description:    -   -   Plant type.—Evergreen perennial shrub.        -   Plant habit.—Compact, upright, shrubby.        -   Plant shape.—Flattened globular.        -   Plant size.—Reaches about 26.7 cm in height and 59.5 cm in            spread.        -   Cold hardiness.—At least in U.S.D.A. Zones 5.        -   Environmental stress.—High durability of foliage to wind and            rain.        -   Plant vigor.—Moderate.        -   Diseases and pests.—No more susceptibility or resistance to            pests and diseases than has been observed.        -   Root description.—Fibrous and fine.        -   Propagation—Stem cuttings.        -   Growth rate.—Moderate.-   Stem description:    -   -   Shape.—Rounded.        -   Stem color.—Young branches; 183B, mature branches; 143B.        -   Stem size.—An average of 18.5 cm in length and 2 mm in            diameter.        -   Stem surface.—Smooth and glossy.        -   Stem aspect.—Held at an average angle 60°.        -   Branching.—Very freely branched with basal branching, an            average of 61 lateral branches.        -   Internode length.—An average of 1.2 cm.        -   Stem strength.—Very strong.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Leaf shape.—Narrow ovate to lanceolate.        -   Leaf division.—Simple.        -   Leaf base.—Rounded to short attenuate.        -   Leaf apex.—Narrow and long apiculate to narrow acuminate,            slightly curled sideways and slightly pointed downward.        -   Leaf fragrance.—None.        -   Leaf venation.—Pinnate, 144C in color on upper surface, 145A            in color on lower surface.        -   Leaf margins.—Finely serrate.        -   Leaf arrangement.—Alternate.        -   Leaf attachment.—Petiolate.        -   Leaf surface.—Upper surface; smooth and very glossy, lower            surface; slightly glossy.        -   Leaf size.—An average of 7.2 cm in length and 1.5 cm in            width.        -   Leaf internode length.—Short, an average of 1 cm.        -   Leaf quantity.—An average of 21 per lateral stem.        -   Leaf color.—New growth upper surface; 175A, new growth lower            surface; 177B tinged with 199B, mature growth upper surface;            a color between 139A and 147A, but darker, mature growth            lower surface; 147B, fall and winter color upper and lower            surfaces; a blend of N77A, N77B and 147A.        -   Petioles.—About 6 mm in length and 1.2 mm in width, 144B to            144C in color, glossy and smooth surface.-   Inflorescence description: Flowers have not been observed to form    and are typically insignificant for the species.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Leucothoe plant named‘Opstal 50’ as herein illustrated and described.